Planning a destination wedding from Japan to Hawaii for 80 guests was both exciting and intimidating. Our biggest fears were not being able to see everything in person, finding vendors we could trust from thousands of miles away, and making sure our guests would have an unforgettable experience. Looking back now, we can honestly say that choosing Steph was one of the best decisions we made throughout our entire wedding journey.

Even before we officially signed with her, Steph took the time to understand our vision, priorities, and what we wanted our wedding to feel like. Based on those conversations, she thoughtfully suggested venues that aligned perfectly with our style and ultimately helped us find our dream venue, Lanikuhonua Phase 2. From the very beginning, we could tell she genuinely cared about creating an incredible experience for us.

We worked with Steph for just over a year and chose a partial planning package because we wanted to be involved in many of the decisions ourselves. Steph struck the perfect balance between allowing us to bring our vision to life and providing expert guidance every step of the way. She provided an amazing list of recommended vendors, reviewed quotes and contracts with us, helped facilitate payments from abroad, coordinated shipping details, sourced unique rentals, and answered countless questions (sometimes through late-night emails!) with so much thought and care. We are very detail-oriented and had a strong vision for our wedding, and she never once made us feel like we were asking too much. Instead, she treated every detail with the same level of care and enthusiasm that we did.

Food and guest experience were incredibly important to us, and Steph went above and beyond to make sure every aspect reflected that. She coordinated our planning trip to Hawaii six months before the wedding, arranging food tastings, linen appointments, and everything we wanted to see in person. She also helped us think beyond the wedding day itself, offering ideas and recommendations for our entire wedding weekend, including our welcome cocktail event in Waikiki and after-party. Every event felt cohesive and intentional, and we truly felt that she understood what mattered most to us.

By the time our wedding weekend arrived, we felt completely at ease because we knew everything was in Steph’s hands. Everyone says something will inevitably go wrong on your wedding day, but if anything did, we never knew about it. Everything felt effortless, seamless, and absolutely perfect from beginning to end.

The greatest gift Steph gave us was allowing us to be fully present. Instead of worrying about timelines and logistics, we were able to simply soak in every moment with our family and friends. It’s difficult to put into words just how happy we felt that day. The entire experience exceeded anything we had imagined. It felt almost like seeing Disneyland for the first time as a child—pure joy, excitement, and wonder. Every little detail we had envisioned came to life even more beautifully than we could have dreamed.

And apparently our guests felt the same way. We received endless compliments on everything—the food, the flow of the evening, the venue, the florals, the decor, the favors, and all of the thoughtful touches throughout the weekend. So many people told us it was one of the best weddings they had ever attended. While everyone saw the magic, we know how much work, care, and attention to detail happened behind the scenes to make it all possible.

Looking back, one of the greatest gifts Steph gave us wasn’t just a beautiful wedding—it was peace of mind. She allowed us to fully enjoy one of the most important weekends of our lives and created memories we will cherish forever. If we could do it all over again, we would choose Steph a hundred times over without hesitation. We truly cannot recommend her highly enough, especially for couples planning a destination wedding in Hawaii from afar.

We truly can’t imagine our wedding without Stephanie from Esselle Weddings & Events. From the very first conversation, we knew we were in great hands. She’s incredibly organized, thoughtful, and genuinely cares about making every detail feel just right. Throughout the planning process, she was always a step ahead—anticipating things we would’ve never even thought to consider, and making sure nothing slipped through the cracks.

Planning a wedding can definitely be overwhelming at times, but Stephanie made everything feel manageable. She was always calm, responsive, and reassuring—even when we had last-minute questions or needed help making decisions. It felt like she had this sixth sense for what we needed and when we needed it, and her experience really showed every step of the way.

When the wedding day arrived, we were actually able to relax and enjoy it, which honestly wouldn’t have been possible without her. Everything ran so smoothly behind the scenes—timing, vendors, setup, transitions—it all just flowed. She made sure everyone was where they needed to be, everything looked beautiful, and any issues that popped up were handled so seamlessly that we didn’t even know they happened.

Beyond her professionalism, Stephanie is just a lovely person to be around. She brought a calm, grounding energy to the entire process, and working with her felt more like having a very organized and supportive friend on your team. And all of this was even more important since we were working over Zoom! We only met her in person on the day of the actual event, but it truly felt like we’d known her for years. We’re so grateful for everything she did and truly believe our day wouldn’t have been the same without her.

If you’re looking for someone who will treat your wedding with as much care and intention as you do, we can’t recommend Stephanie and Esselle Weddings & Events enough. She was such a huge part of what made our day so special.

Working with Steph and the incredible team at Esselle Weddings was one of the best decisions we made in our entire wedding journey. Over the past year, Steph helped us bring our dream wedding to life—transforming our vision into the most beautiful, unforgettable experience of our lives. We truly can’t say enough good things about her.

From day one, Steph was warm, responsive, and incredibly organized. She handled every detail with grace and precision—from coordinating with vendors and managing logistics to remembering the smallest touches that made our day feel so personal and special. Her experience shows in the way she anticipates needs, solves problems before they even reach you, and remains calm and composed no matter what comes up.

On our wedding day, Steph and her team were simply phenomenal. There were inevitable bumps in the road—unexpected weather and vendor hiccups—but we didn’t even know about most of them until after the fact because she had everything handled with ease and professionalism. She made it possible for us to be fully present, relaxed, and immersed in every moment, which is something we’ll forever be grateful for.

You can tell Steph genuinely cares about her couples. She and her team give their hearts to what they do, and it shows in every interaction and every perfectly executed detail. This review is way more than 5 stars—it’s an enthusiastic and heartfelt recommendation to anyone looking for a wedding planner who will go above and beyond to make your day unforgettable.

Thank you, Steph, for being such a BIG part of our lives and for making our day so magical. We will never forget it!

Steph & team are the absolute best. We are Californians who were planning our destination wedding in Hawaii, and she truly made every step so easy AND enjoyable!! We truly could not have done it without her.

From start to finish, she was the steady, supportive presence we didn't even know we needed. She kept us on schedule, anticipated our needs before we could voice them, and made the entire planning process feel so much more manageable.

She is the perfect blend of professional, responsive, and incredibly warm. She always made us feel heard and offered thoughtful advice that helped us make clear decisions, even when we were feeling overwhelmed. Her recommendations were spot-on and always aligned with our vision.

On the big day, Steph executed everything flawlessly--actually, even better than we imagined!! Every detail was handled with care, and we were able to be fully present and soak in each moment thanks to her calm expertise behind the scenes.

We are endlessly grateful for her and would recommend Steph to any couple in a heartbeat. She's a true gem!

We all know how stressful wedding planning can be, but Steph and her team at Esselle Wedding really make the process so much easier. From the start of it all, Steph made the entire process seamless, stress-free, and so much fun. Your guidance and expertise were invaluable, and we couldn't have asked for a better wedding planner. Whatever questions you have, she has the answer for you! If not, she will make sure to get it for you.
My wife and I want to sincerely thank you for all your hard work and dedication in making our wedding day so incredibly special. Their attention to detail, creativity, and professionalism exceeded our expectations, and we are so grateful for everything you've done to bring our vision to life.
DO NOT hesitate to choose Steph as your wedding planner on your special day. It will be the best decision you make!
Thank you again for everything. Esselle Weddings will always have a special place in our hearts and we truly appreciate all the time and effort you put into making our big day unforgettable.

Steph and her team at Esselle Weddings are the best in the business. We were lucky enough to be introduced to her by our wedding venue, and from the introductory meeting, we knew we had an all star team that will help us make our dream become a reality. Their attention to detail, level of engagement during our monthly meetings, their connections within the wedding industry in Hawaii, and sheer knowledge gave us the confidence that our wedding day would be everything we wanted and more. We can’t recommend Steph and her team any more to any couple who is looking for someone to make their special day, that more special. They will always remain a special reason why our wedding day was perfect. Thank you Steph and Esselle Weddings!!!

- JCA² ❤️

My now wife and I wanted a destination wedding and we decided on the beautiful island of Oahu. We did our research and decided on the amazing venue hosted by the Hyatt Regency of Waikiki and Stephanie and her team were one of the vendors recommended by the venue. We booked over a year in advance, but Stephanie kept contact with us as the months rolled by. She was always there to answer any questions we may have had. As the big day came within a few months, Stephanie and her team kicked it up several notches to make sure our dream wedding was fulfilled. They had spreadsheets for everything we could think of down to the fine and minute details. Her team kept up with communication between vendors for us without having to lift a finger. On the big day, she made sure everything tried to go according to plan. Even when things don’t go as expected, Stephanie and her team always knew what to do. All in all, we thank Stephanie and the Esselle team for one magical and fantastic job and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend her to others looking for their dream come true weddings!

Steph is amazing!!! My fiancé and I were incredibly grateful with how flawless everything turned out. Steph was there for us every step of the way and helped us manage our timelines, coordination with vendors, and general recommendations since it was a destination wedding. The day of the wedding, Steph, Sarah, and Kiana went above and beyond to make it perfect. We had 150 guests and everyone kept complimenting on how attentive, organized, and professional they were. Steph had scheduled consistent check-ins with us and stayed in constant communication, making the entire planning process stress-free. Whenever we had random questions, Steph was always just an email away, ready to offer solutions and reassurance. The team's genuine care really stood out and we wouldn't have it any other way. We highly recommend Esselle Weddings for all their talent and dedication to making our special day perfect. They're the sweetest!

Top tier service! Steph and the rest of her team are the best!!! She helped us so much throughout our wedding planning process. She is so thoughtful and organized, and she truly cares about her couples! She was very responsive and never made us feel like we were bothering her with our long lists of questions. Steph and her whole team are ultimate professionals and made our wedding so special and amazing. The whole day went so well and we weren't even that stressed because Steph and the Esselle team were with us every step of the way and took care of everything! We had multiple family members tell us how impressed they were with how efficient everything was. We even forgot our wedding cake at the end of the night and Sarah (part of the Esselle team) dropped it off to our house. So if you are looking for help planning a wedding, you should definitely reach out to Steph and Esselle! They go above and beyond and you will be in great hands! Thank you so much Steph!

Planning a destination wedding can be a daunting task, but our experience with Steph as our wedding planner in O'ahu surpassed all expectations. From the outset, Steph stood out among the local planners we met with her unparalleled helpfulness and proactive approach.

Even before officially hiring Steph, she eagerly provided suggestions and feedback on venues. Despite an 18-hour time difference, Steph was consistently accommodating for Zoom meeting times and readily available for our inquiries. Her expertise became evident as she seamlessly guided us through the vendor selection process, explaining why each choice would best align with our preferences and vision. Steph ensured we met every vendor booking deadline, showcasing her commitment to our wedding's success. Most importantly, she went beyond traditional wedding planner duties, offering valuable insights into our DIY decor choices, advising on what would work logistically and look amazing in photos. The result was a wedding venue that exceeded our expectations in terms of execution and aesthetics.

On our Big Day, Steph and her team's exceptional efforts made our wedding an unforgettable experience. While we had to execute a hectic tea ceremony schedule, the team proactively handled ad-hoc tasks and coordinated seamlessly with our photographers. After a stressful morning, we arrived at our venue to find our vision flawlessly executed, allowing us to enjoy the day worry-free. Everyone on the Esselle team executed their responsibilities flawlessly and communicated well with us, vendors and our guests who were also amazed by their services. The moments that really made us felt “wow” were when the team fed us water during the long group photoshoot and when they helped us wipe our shoes after a beach walk for sunset photos. Despite juggling multiple tasks, they never forgot the wedding-couple and genuinely care for our well-being. With their help, we really enjoyed every moment of our day with our family and friends.

Without hesitation, we highly recommend Steph for anyone seeking a wedding planner in O'ahu. Her professionalism, attention to detail, and genuine passion for creating memorable events truly set her apart. Steph played an instrumental role in making our wedding day perfect, and we are immensely grateful for her outstanding service.